Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electrical connector which can be connected to a foil conductor. When mention is made herein of foil conductors, they are to be understood as meaning flexible printed-circuit boards (FPCB), flexible flat cables (FFC), or the like. Such a connector has a connector housing, which is formed by a connector body carrying contact pins and by a fixing part. A receiving gap for a foil conductor or for an end of a foil conductor is formed between the connector body and the fixing part. The contact pins carry a contact element which protrudes into the receiving gap, where it can be brought into contact with the conductor track of a foil conductor. In the case of a connector which is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,308, the connector body is constructed somewhat like a box and the fixing part is constructed as a plate. The fixing part interacts with a flat side of the connector body, leaving a receiving gap free for a printed-circuit board. Contact pins which are disposed in parallel receiving channels in the connector body protrude with resilient tongues into the receiving gap. In order to increase the number of contact points, a second plate-shaped fixing part is provided, forming a second receiving gap with the side of the connector body lying opposite the first receiving gap.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an electrical connector, which overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type and which, while having a simple and compact geometry, has as large a number of contact pins as possible.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, an electrical connector, comprising a connector housing having a connector body with a peripheral surface and a sleeve-shaped fixing part with an inner surface. The fixing part receives at least one longitudinal portion of the connector body in an assembled state. The inner surface of the fixing part and the peripheral surface of the connector body defining a receiving gap therebetween at least partially enclosing the connector body. Contact pins are carried by the connector body and at least some of the contact pins protrude into the receiving gap. A foil conductor has an end disposed in the receiving gap.
Consequently, a greater utilization of an installation space made available by the connector body for contact pins is ensured in comparison with known connectors, with essentially only two main component parts being required, namely a central connector body and a sleeve-shaped fixing part fully enclosing the connector body. The foil conductor is clamped in the receiving gap and pull relief is consequently achieved. The pull relief can be further enhanced by corrugated or roughened surfaces of the connector body and the fixing part. The contact pins have a contact element, in particular, for making contact with a conductor track of the foil conductor. If contact is to be made with a plurality of conductor tracks, preferably a plurality of contact elements are assigned to a contact pin. Moreover, there is the possibility of using the contact pins to establish contact between two foil conductors inserted into the receiving gap. In this case, their mutually assigned conductor tracks are pressed against each other. The connector therefore serves in this case as a connector for two foil conductors.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in an electrical connector, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.